Who is going to be the next Mayor of London?

I had an interesting discussion with someone yesterday evening about what would happen if Boris were no longer the Mayor of the capital.

Boris might try for a third term as Mayor in 2016 but then again, he might not. If he doesn't, who would you like to see as Conservative candidate for Mayor of London if Boris were not standing?

Who do you think would make a good Labour candidate for the London Mayoralty? Someone (not a Labour supporter) suggested to me that Alan Johnson MP (born in London) could be a good choice as Labour candidate in the next London Mayoral Election.

If you have any ideas on who the different political parties might consider picking as London Mayoral candidates (if their candidates who stood last week do not seek re-election) perhaps you could post your views on this (if you have any) here?

Thank you.

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Comments

Yes - but wouldn't being London Mayor preclude him as a candidate for the Labour Party leadership? I am not suggesting that he will stand again for that post, but some in the press are not ruling out the possibility.

I would add (just for anyone who does not know) that one does not have to be born in London to be a candidate for the London Mayoralty. Boris (Johnson) was born in New York according to the Wikipedia page about him.

As our politics seems to be veering the American way.
ie: celebrity over politcal party, I believe that someone who is popular in the public eye would stand a good chance. Obviously who will be popular in 4 years is impossible to guess.

As our politics seems to be veering the American way.
ie: celebrity over politcal party, I believe that someone who is popular in the public eye would stand a good chance. Obviously who will be popular in 4 years is impossible to guess.

If Boris didn't go for it in 2016, possibly Justine Greening for the Tories? David Lammy for Labour and Caroline Pidgeon for Lib Dems

I did hear it suggested that, had David Lammy been the Labour candidate, he could have won. Justine defeated a Labour MP in Putney even before the Tories regained office, giving Putney its first opposition MP for many years. As she is clearly quite a formidable campaigner she could become the Tory candidate at least.

Sarah Teather could be the LibDem candidate. She is also a formidable campaigner to have wom ex-safe Brent East in the 2003 by-election and then achieved an 11% swing in Brent Central. I think she knows how to communicate to a diversity of voters. Besides, she may need a new job after 2015!

I did hear it suggested that, had David Lammy been the Labour candidate, he could have won. Justine defeated a Labour MP in Putney even before the Tories regained office, giving Putney its first opposition MP for many years. As she is clearly quite a formidable campaigner she could become the Tory candidate at least.

Sarah Teather could be the LibDem candidate. She is also a formidable campaigner to have wom ex-safe Brent East in the 2003 by-election and then achieved an 11% swing in Brent Central. I think she knows how to communicate to a diversity of voters. Besides, she may need a new job after 2015!

I didn't think about Sarah Teather, but it's a good idea. One thing about Justine Greening that would go against her standing is I thought her seat was getting cut up under the boundary changes but it's Jane Ellison that loses her seat (Battersea and Vauxhall looks tough to win) and the new Putney is a safer Tory seat.

I can't see Boris even having a chance at Number 10. Cameron maybe out by then if he doesn't turn his party around. It's a challenge we will have to wait. Now Boris needs to convince Londoners a lot especially the aftermath of the Olympics and the selling of the site.

If the Olympics go well and if by 2016 there is a feeling of a positive legacy then he'll have a hell of a CV.

Justine Greening is an interesting suggestion but I think she'll have her eye on higher government office. Transport Sec is a transient job for those on their way up or down - and she's certainly on the way up. I can see her being Britain's first female Chancellor.

For Labour, I'd like to see David Lammy put his name forward. He got a lot of credit from all sides about how he handled the riots last year - calling for calm rather than antagonising the situation and blaming other people. Unlike Ken, he doesn't seem to have any political enemies.